"Earthlight" by Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor

"Earthlight" by Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor

Dr. Sian Proctor shares her poem "Earthlight" based on her experience as a SpaceX Astronaut for the orbital Inspiration 4 Mission during September 16-18, 2021. Dr. Proctor was the first black female astronaut to pilot a spacecraft.

Note: Sian's father, Edward Langley Proctor Jr., an engineer, worked at a NASA tracking station on the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean supporting the Apollo moon missions.

Sian Hayley "Leo" Proctor (born March 28, 1970) is an American geology professor, science communicator, and commercial astronaut. She was launched into Earth orbit, on September 15, 2021, as the pilot of the Crew Dragon space capsule. This mission was the Inspiration4 private orbital spaceflight. As the pilot on the Inspiration4 mission, Proctor became the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft. She is a geology professor at South Mountain Community College in Arizona. She is also a major in the Civil Air Patrol where she serves as the aerospace education officer for its Arizona Wing. [Source Wikipedia]

"The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space. It is the experience of seeing first-hand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, 'hanging in the void', shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. The effect may also invoke a sense of transcendence and connection with humanity as a whole, from which national borders appear petty. The term and concept were coined in 1987 by American author, Frank White."

Credit: Dr. Sian Proctor

Duration: 1 minute, 44 seconds

Release Date: March 23, 2022

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